Bonnie A. (ladycholla) -
Another enjoyable book by Blake. Fun and funny. Animals are great fun.
Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Dial Meow for Murder is the second installment in the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery series set in the small town of Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania and featuring Philosophy major turned pet sitter Daphne Templeton. Daphne's business is growing, her homemade organic pet treats are a huge hit and she's ready to move into the small cottage on sister Piper's estate.
Heading to the Fur-Ever-Friends Pet rescue fundraiser at the Flynt mansion, Daphne quickly discovers that the Halloween theme does not include costumes and she and her beloved basset hound and sidekick Socrates are the only two dressed up for the holiday. The Flynt mansion has a reputation for being haunted and for some reason the power is off leaving the home even spookier in appearance.
Daphne's mother Maeve, Sylvan Creek realtor extraordinaire, has landed the listing to sell the home and with a potential buyer on the way for a showing is having a fit that the owner Lillian Flynt is missing and her black, Persian cat Tinkleston with a nasty reputation is terrorizing the guests. Following her mother's instructions to find the cat and keep it away from her client, Daphne goes room to room in search of Tinks and discovers Lillian dead in the bathtub.
The autopsy shows that Lillian didn't die an accidental death but instead was the victim of foul play. Maeve surfaces as the prime suspect and in an effort to clear her mother's name Daphne joins forces with the hunky Detective Jonathan Black to find the real killer.
A fast paced, fun plot with plenty of twists and turns. In traditional cozy fashion the characters in the idyllic small town harbor hidden secrets and as Daphne uncovers them she has plenty of suspects to investigate. A terrific cast of characters and loveable pets make for a terrific addition to the series.
Heading to the Fur-Ever-Friends Pet rescue fundraiser at the Flynt mansion, Daphne quickly discovers that the Halloween theme does not include costumes and she and her beloved basset hound and sidekick Socrates are the only two dressed up for the holiday. The Flynt mansion has a reputation for being haunted and for some reason the power is off leaving the home even spookier in appearance.
Daphne's mother Maeve, Sylvan Creek realtor extraordinaire, has landed the listing to sell the home and with a potential buyer on the way for a showing is having a fit that the owner Lillian Flynt is missing and her black, Persian cat Tinkleston with a nasty reputation is terrorizing the guests. Following her mother's instructions to find the cat and keep it away from her client, Daphne goes room to room in search of Tinks and discovers Lillian dead in the bathtub.
The autopsy shows that Lillian didn't die an accidental death but instead was the victim of foul play. Maeve surfaces as the prime suspect and in an effort to clear her mother's name Daphne joins forces with the hunky Detective Jonathan Black to find the real killer.
A fast paced, fun plot with plenty of twists and turns. In traditional cozy fashion the characters in the idyllic small town harbor hidden secrets and as Daphne uncovers them she has plenty of suspects to investigate. A terrific cast of characters and loveable pets make for a terrific addition to the series.
Dial Meow for Murder by Bethany Blake is the second book in A Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery series. Daphne Templeton owns Lucky Paws PetSitting in Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania. Daphne is setting up her table for the Fur-ever Friends Pet Rescue gala fundraiser at Flynt Mansion which is being hosted by Lillian Flynt who is currently MIA. Daphne gets tasked with tracking down Lillian's missing cat, Tinkleston and discovers Lillian dead in her bathroom (found the missing CD players too which explains the lack of electricity). Detective Jonathan Black is assigned the case and Daphne is happy to leave the sleuthing to him. However, when Maeve Templeton, Daphne's mother, ends up at the top of the suspect list, Daphne has no choice but to start prowling for clues. Daphne has her hands full with her business, moving into the caretaker's cottage, tetchy Tinkleston and tracking down a killer. Then she discovers that Maeve's new client who wishes to purchase the Flynt Mansion is Jonathan's ex-wife, Elyse Hunter. What is Daphne willing to do to expose a killer? Find out in Dial Meow for Murder.
Dial Meow for Murder is a cozy mystery for readers who like hilarity and hijinks. Daphne is flighty, bumbling, reckless, and scattered (lost her new business cards, trouble with cell phone, daydreams frequently, stole evidence from crime scene, disregards chain of custody for evidence and so much more). Would you trust your precious pet (i.e. your baby) with this woman? I would not trust Daphne to watch a cactus. On the flip side, I do like Daphne's interactions with her dog, Socrates. My rating for Dial Meow for Murder is 3 out of 5 stars (okay, but I am the wrong audience for this book). The killer stood out like a red wine stain on a white tablecloth. There are two big clues that provide the answer (if you need them). I wanted less silliness and more mystery (more action and less zany). I found Dial Meow for Murder to be cliché and predictable. I felt the writing lacked polish. I do enjoy light hearted stories (Seashells, Spells and Caramels for example), but Dial Meow for Murder was not one of them. Even my mother (who normally likes this type of book) found Dial Meow for Murder over-the-top.
Dial Meow for Murder is a cozy mystery for readers who like hilarity and hijinks. Daphne is flighty, bumbling, reckless, and scattered (lost her new business cards, trouble with cell phone, daydreams frequently, stole evidence from crime scene, disregards chain of custody for evidence and so much more). Would you trust your precious pet (i.e. your baby) with this woman? I would not trust Daphne to watch a cactus. On the flip side, I do like Daphne's interactions with her dog, Socrates. My rating for Dial Meow for Murder is 3 out of 5 stars (okay, but I am the wrong audience for this book). The killer stood out like a red wine stain on a white tablecloth. There are two big clues that provide the answer (if you need them). I wanted less silliness and more mystery (more action and less zany). I found Dial Meow for Murder to be cliché and predictable. I felt the writing lacked polish. I do enjoy light hearted stories (Seashells, Spells and Caramels for example), but Dial Meow for Murder was not one of them. Even my mother (who normally likes this type of book) found Dial Meow for Murder over-the-top.
